Assistant Team Leader Orientation

Welcome Assistant Team Leaders:

This is where you can find any and all information before field school!

Field School Structure:

One of the most frequently asked questions we get from Assistant Team Leaders during the field school is: What is my role? We hope some of the details here will answer that question and refresh your memory regarding the week’s activities. REMEMBER: you are a peer mentor – you know the ropes of field school and are here to help your team succeed!

Your Team:

5 NEW STUDENTS:

These students applied and were selected to be a part of the Academy team. While we never forget that they are teenagers, we also know they have a passion and interest in making a difference for the conservation of our natural resources!

1 TEAM LEADER (TL):

Team Leaders are adults who are new to the field school, but are dedicated to mentoring your team to educate and empower each team member. The TL plays a vital role in your week, supporting and guiding the team through classes and projects. Plan to work closely with your TL to have a fun and successful week!

Projects and Competition:

During the week of field school, teams compete against each other for the “TOP TEAM” award. Points are awarded for projects, competitions, and trivia. Points accumulate throughout the week. Some projects are individual and some are team. TLs and ATLs do not complete projects but do assist the students with them.

Individual Projects:

Nature Journal

Nature Photograph

Educational Tri-fold

Team Projects:

Plant to Macro Collections

PowerPoint Presentations

Town Hall Meeting

Trivia:

Trivia is a game modeled after “Jeopardy” where questions about the instruction the students have received are given by the instructors and staff. Rules and details will be shared at orientation and during the week. This activity creates a fun and competitive learning environment!

Your Role:

You participate in the field school, learning alongside your teammates!

Motivate:

You and your team will undergo the 100 hours at field school with very little sleep; we go to bed late and are up at dawn! YOUR main job is to keep your team going throughout the week! You will help them learn and work cohesively as a team.

Manage:

We have high expectations for your team throughout the week. Your role will be to help your teammates reach these expectations by making sure they:

Are on time to instructional periods with the proper materials

Complete their assignments on time

Are keeping their living space clean; cabins will be inspected daily!

Keep up with assigned Kitchen Patrol (KP) duties.

Are following the guidelines outlined in the Field School Rules & Policies.

Act with respect for each other and the field school properties.

Mentor:

You serve as peer mentor for your teammates during this immersive, rigorous, and amazing learning experience. You will need to lead, coach, mentor, and motivate your teammates!

Your positive attitude will not only drive your teammates to succeed but will also create an experience that lasts a lifetime!

Have Fun:

While there are plenty of intensive experiences during the week of field school, we also work hard to make sure that the competition is friendly and that we have some fun. We try to laugh often and let go of the things that don’t always go our way!

Be Safe:

There will be a Health Care Coordinator present for the entirety of the field school. The coordinator handles all of the students’ medications and will communicate with you often about issues that need to be addressed.

Other Team Members:

Health Care Coordinator: The Health Care Coordinator serves as the primary person in charge of health care, dispensation of medications and medical history review of all participants (adults and youth).

Academy Support Team: The support team is made up of Academy Alumni who help behind the scenes during the field school assisting instructors, coordinating logistics and more!

Professional Instructors: Twenty plus professional instructors from plant ecologists to entomologists to outdoor writers will come to teach you and your team during the week. Some of our students say they have learned more in this one week than their entire year at school!

NexGen Blog

Field Schools

A COOPERATIVE INITIATIVE

The mission of the Wildlife Leadership Academy is to engage and empower high school age youth to become Conservation Ambassadors to ensure a sustained wildlife, fisheries and natural resource legacy for future generations. The Academy, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, is a cooperative initiative involving state agencies and conservation organizations.